Technology Across the Pond: Insights from CARTES 2013

One of the most important advantages of globalization is that governments can learn from each other. Oracle’s latest announcement in Europe has some important lessons from government agencies in the United States and around the world.

At the CARTES 2013 in Paris, France, a conference on securing smart technologies, Oracle announced a new partnership with German company Infineon to bring Java 3.0 smart cards to government agencies. According to international IT news outlet, CIOL, this partnership will “provide secure smart card solutions for the development of government applications.” Smart cards are pocket-sized embedded integrated circuits that can provide identification, data storage, and security authentication.

Casten Lochinsky, Infineon Vice President and General Manager of Government ID, said that Oracle’s Java 3.0 smart cards are ideal for government applications. “Open platform solutions are becoming more and more important in secure government ID applications. The truly global Java Card standard allows government authorities to easily adapt ID solutions to their specific requirements and caters to the need for multiple applications,” Loschinsky explained.

CIOL went on to describe the benefits that make Oracle’s smart card solutions fit the unique government context. For example, the Java 3.0 card supports the programs that are the “secure open standard for transport applications, providing a truly open solution that supports compliance with public procurement regulations.”

The partnership with Infineon combines Java smart cards with Infineon’s Integrity Guard security features, which provide encrypted storage and the processing of sensitive data, according to a Smart Card alliance press release. These technologies together create the optimal platform for government agencies. The press explains that the partnership, “enables system integrators, manufacturers and suppliers to easily introduce tailored applications such as health care, identification and social security schemes without compromising on security. In addition, it facilitates the introduction of multiple applications on a single card.”

The CARTES 2013 conference brought together many of the tech innovators that are revolutionizing how Europe does business. This announcement demonstrated how partnerships among global innovators are emerging to revolutionize how the European Union governs. In May 2014, CARTES will come to Las Vegas to bring together global technology leaders here in the United States. Will American government agencies take advantage of Oracle’s newest partnership? For now, we will be looking to our friends in Europe to see how government agencies are doing their jobs better with Oracle and Infineon.